# Who is Bow-Tie Man? An Historical missing link. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 25, 2002, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-bow-tie-man-an-historical-missing-link/120807 "2002-07-25T19:05:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PhiloVance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19adc/32.png) [@PhiloVance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhiloVance)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-bow-tie-man-an-historical-missing-link/120807/1 "2002-07-25T19:05:01Z")
It all started recently when I went to apply for Social Security (Yes, I’m that old). Bow-Tie man is what they call a man who appears in the original picture of FDR signing the Social Security act into law in 1935. No one’s figured out his identity yet, tho they have some clues. Check at [this site](http://www.ssa.gov/history/bowtieman.html) for further information. Also check the links at that site. If you happen to discover his identity, you not only be fighting ignorance (as we are all wont to do), but you’ll also the SSA’s > [@](#): > > …eternal gratitude, and your name mentioned on our website as the person who solved the mystery. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![mandielise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@mandielise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandielise)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-bow-tie-man-an-historical-missing-link/120807/2 "2002-07-25T20:08:57Z")
Just outta curiousity, how come they really need to know who the guy is? Did he commit a crime? If not, why would he not have turned himself in by now? ---
**Author:** ![booklover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@booklover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/booklover)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-bow-tie-man-an-historical-missing-link/120807/3 "2002-07-25T20:44:17Z")
Unfortunately, he probably wasn’t alive back then, but I jumped when I saw the thread title because “Bow-Tie Man” was the nickname for an English teacher at my high school. The real Bow-Tie Man looks kinda creepy. ---
**Author:** ![JRootabega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e7dd6/32.png) [@JRootabega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRootabega)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-bow-tie-man-an-historical-missing-link/120807/4 "2002-07-25T21:50:20Z")
Easy! That’s Mr. Slugworth. He was there to offer Roosevelt an Everlasting Gobstopper. ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-bow-tie-man-an-historical-missing-link/120807/5 "2002-07-25T22:45:59Z")
By God, it’s Great Uncle Fred! ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-bow-tie-man-an-historical-missing-link/120807/6 "2002-07-25T22:59:17Z")
Bow Tie Man? What does Paul Simon have to do with this? Did he time travel again??? ---
**Author:** ![PhiloVance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19adc/32.png) [@PhiloVance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhiloVance)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-bow-tie-man-an-historical-missing-link/120807/7 "2002-07-26T00:49:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spavined Gelding \* > \*\*By God, it’s Great Uncle Fred! \*\* ☹ That’s what I thought too, but Fred was a bit heavier and had a mop on top. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-bow-tie-man-an-historical-missing-link/120807/8 "2002-07-26T01:52:33Z")
He’s the same guy who was holding the umbrella in the Zapruder film. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-bow-tie-man-an-historical-missing-link/120807/9 "2002-07-26T03:24:58Z")
He’s the [WTC](http://sensoryresearch.com/~phineas/Images/wtc/wtc-guy/page_01.htm) tourist’s grandfather. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-bow-tie-man-an-historical-missing-link/120807/10 "2002-07-26T03:36:56Z")
and i swore i saw him recently as the Pentagon spokesperson 😉 ---
**Author:** ![d12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/71c47a/32.png) [@d12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/d12)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-bow-tie-man-an-historical-missing-link/120807/11 "2002-07-26T06:37:45Z")
Pft! Isn’t it a little obvious? Colonel Sanders. He’s just there to offer FDR some finger lickin’ good KFC for when he’s done signing. Wouldn’t want grease all over now would we? ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-bow-tie-man-an-historical-missing-link/120807/12 "2002-07-27T21:30:29Z")
I’m pretty sure that his name is Forrest Gump. And i’m reasonably sure that it’s not paul simon. liked his records, tho! ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-bow-tie-man-an-historical-missing-link/120807/13 "2002-07-27T23:41:49Z")
It’s Waldo! ---
**Author:** ![El\_Gui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@El\_Gui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Gui)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2002, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-bow-tie-man-an-historical-missing-link/120807/14 "2002-07-28T03:16:23Z")
Isn’t Tucker Carlson (Crossfire) Bow Tie Boy? Maybe they are related? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2002, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-bow-tie-man-an-historical-missing-link/120807/15 "2002-07-28T03:42:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ranchoth \* > \*\*He’s the same guy who was holding the umbrella in the Zapruder film. 😃 \*\* In 1978, Louie Steven Witt, “The Umbrella Man”, came forward to testify to the Church Committee investigating the Kennedy Assassination: [http://www.jfk-online.com/jfk100tum.html](http://www.jfk-online.com/jfk100tum.html) ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-bow-tie-man-an-historical-missing-link/120807/16 "2002-07-30T06:34:12Z")
I think I discovered who Bow-Tie Man is: Rep. Joshua Twing Brooks (R-Penn.), who served on the House Ways & Means Committee that oversaw the Social Security Act in 1935. I have a photograph of Brooks published in 1932 that looks very much like Bow-Tie Man. Where can I quickly post it on the Web, next to a copy of Bow-Tie Man’s photo, so you fellow SDopers can give your opinion? ---
**Author:** ![Lure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@Lure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lure)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-bow-tie-man-an-historical-missing-link/120807/17 "2002-07-30T06:41:40Z")
Looks like Leonard Zelig to me. “Everybody dance chameleon” ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-bow-tie-man-an-historical-missing-link/120807/18 "2002-07-30T14:17:43Z")
**Walloon** : E-mail it to me. I’ll throw it on my Website and post a link. My e-mail is accessible by the button at the bottom of this post. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-bow-tie-man-an-historical-missing-link/120807/19 "2002-07-30T18:53:04Z")
Leave it to the Straight Dope Irregulars to solve in less than a week a mystery that’s clearly been bugging this Large Government Agency for a very long time. Next stop, the “Lockbox.” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-bow-tie-man-an-historical-missing-link/120807/20 "2002-07-30T19:54:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tars Tarkas \* > \*\*Bow Tie Man? What does Paul Simon have to do with this? Did he time travel again??? \*\* I don’t think this man is wearing a Gaberdine suit however. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-bow-tie-man-an-historical-missing-link/120807.md?page=2)